Sunday, July 6, 2008

Area man blamed in fatal crash that kills two

LAMAR— A Lewisburg man driving the wrong way on Interstate 80 Friday evening, was among two people killed in a three-car collision in Clinton County.  Police in Lamar say that 44-year-old, John Pick of Lewisburg, caused the collision that killed himself and another motorist, while also injuring four others.  Reports say he was driving west in the eastbound lanes when his vehicle struck the vehicle driven by the Rev. Timothy Wright, of New York.  Wright’s wife, 58-year-old Betty Wright, was also killed in that crash and his 14-year-old grandson suffered critical injuries.  Another vehicle, driven by 25-year-old Kyle Creasap of Ohio, was also involved in the crash and injuries were reported to Creasap and his passenger.  It’s reported that the crash happened around 10:30 p.m. in Greene Township.  Rev. Wright is a gospel singer and has released more than a dozen recordings, his latest album came out last year.  (AP/WKOK) 

Scranton man pronounced dead after being hit by a car in Snyder County 

HUMMELS WHARF – A Scranton man was kill this (Saturday) morning in Hummels Wharf after he was hit by a car.  56-year-old Joseph Farrell was walking with his bike on Routes 11&15 near the area of the Monroe Marketplace around 12:40a.m.  Police say Farrell walked between two construction barrels into the path of a car driven by 19-year-old Eric Tanner of Northumberland.  Farrell struck the car’s windshield and was thrown to the roadside.  Snyder County Coroner Bruce Hummel pronounced him dead at the scene.  A 16-year-old passenger in Tanner’s car sustained minor injuries, and no other injuries were reported.  Hummels Wharf Fire Company, Dauntless Hook and Ladder Company paramedics and EMTS ambulance assisted at the scene. (Sara Bartlett)  

Route 180 crash leaves Danville man in critical condition 

WILLIAMSPORT— A Danville man is in critical condition after being thrown from his motorcycle in a weekend accident.  Police in Williamsport say Daniel Clark was flown to the hospital after his motorcycle struck another vehicle along Route 180 Friday evening.  Clark was flown by Lifeflight helicopter to Geisinger Medical Center, where a nursing supervisor says he is still listed in critical condition.  Reports say the driver and a passenger in the other vehicle, both from Williamsport, were treated for injuries and released from Williamsport Hospital.  Police continue to investigate exactly what happened in that 10:40 p.m. crash.  (Sara Lauver) 

Sunbury celebrates electric anniversary 

SUNBURY – It’s 125 years since Thomas Edison lit a hotel in Sunbury now known as the Hotel Edison and the city recognizes the anniversary with a day full of festivities.   Cindy Inkrote, director of the Northumberland County Historical Society, says a portion of Market Street was closed for the celebration Saturday.  Inkrote says you may feel like you’re in 1883 if you attend, as there is a strolling barbershop quartet, antique cars and Victorian high wheelers.  There was also a fashion show of clothing from the 1880’s to the 1980’s and the reenactment of Edison’s Sunbury Experiment.  Inkrote says another highlight of the celebration was being able to see one of the original dynamos used by Edison to generate power in 1883.  (Sheri Rippon)  

Ely recalls Helms, Ford, Reagan, 1976 

SUNBURY – The late Jesse Helms is still drawing criticism.  However, state GOP committee member Donald Ely says he admired the senator immensely, and that Helms had admirers locally.  Ely is also a retired teacher of history and government and recalls the role Helms played in the 1976 presidential campaigns of incumbent president Gerald Ford and challenger Ronald Reagan.  Helms supported Reagan in 1976, which contributed to the former California governor’s primary wins in North Carolina, Indiana and Nebraska.   

Jesse Helms died of natural causes at the age of 86.  Following his passing early Friday, detractors remember positions he took that they thought held back progress on AIDS and civil rights.  (Matt Farrand)  

Simple assault arrest in Snyder County 

SELINSGROVE— A Selinsgrove man was arrested after police were called to investigate a simple assault incident early Sunday morning.  State Police in Selinsgrove say that 62-year-old, Charles Lewis Jr., was arrested when police were called to his home after he allegedly assaulted his wife.  Police say the victim sustained minor injuries in the altercation and Lewis Jr. was charged with one count of simple assault and harassment.  The incident occurred just before 12:30 a.m. in Penn Township, Snyder County.  (Sara Lauver) 

Crash on Rt. 104 snaps utility pole in half; injures one 

FREEBURG – A Mount Pleasant Mills man is in the hospital after crashing his vehicle early this (Saturday) morning. State Police say around 5:50a.m. 42-year-old Matthew Rhodes was driving on Route 104 at a high rate of speed when he ran off of the road and hit a utility pole, which then snapped in half.  The car came to rest on its roof.  Rhodes was then taken by ambulance to Geisinger Medical Center with moderate injuries. (Sara Bartlett)  

Two thrown from ATV after crash 

TURBOTVILLE – Two people suffered minor injuries after an ATV crash Friday afternoon.  Police say a 14-year-old female from Freeland was driving the ATV on Gearhart Road in Lewis Township, Northumberland County at around 4:10p.m. when she lost control and struck a guiderail.  The juvenile and a passenger, 20-year-old Tiffany Rishel of Milton, were thrown from the vehicle.  Both sustained minor injuries and were treated at Evangelical Community Hospital. (Sara Bartlett)  

Criminal mischief at Lewisburg bank 

LEWISBURG – Police are investigating a criminal mischief incident at a Lewisburg bank.  They say around 4:00p.m. Thursday someone shot a BB gun at the windows of the bank located on AJK Boulevard.  Damage was estimated at $450.00 and anyone with information is asked to contact Milton State Police. (Sara Bartlett)   

Boroughs to the Bay and Beyond re-launched 

UNDATED – The state of the Susquehanna River is improving.  That’s the opinion of Susquehanna River Basin Commission Executive Director Paul Swartz, who also admits that many parts of the watershed still need some improvement, including the West Branch, which are degraded by abandon mines.  Swartz says the good news is that they have been seeing consistently improving long-term trends regarding the concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and suspended sediments in the water. 

 As the Commission continues to monitor the quality of the water, Swartz says the River Basin, because it is so water-rich is getting a lot of attention for energy production projects.  The most recent is gas exploration, where companies collect millions of gallons of water and eject it to create fractures in rocks where gas can then be extracted.  Swartz says doing this in small streams is risky, and operations have the potential to use more water than should be withdrawn.

 Swartz says this summer they have been working with over 50 different companies who are undertaking these projects; to make sure they understand the Commission’s requirements.  You can hear a full interview with Paul Swartz at the Boroughs to the Bay and Beyond web page online at wkok.com. (Sara Bartlett)

 Workers continue to work on water main line at Packer’s Island 

UPPER AUGUSTA TWP – Although water was restored Friday morning to residents on Packer Island, crews continue to figure out what caused the Thursday night water main break.  An eight-inch water line under the river, which is about 25-feet out from the bank on the island side, broke.  Joe Woodward, Manager of Field Operations at Pennsylvania American Water, says the problem is the pipe can’t be repaired yet because it’s currently under about 10-feet of water.  

Woodward says they restored water to the customers by running a five-inch fire hose from a fire hydrant in the Northumberland Borough, to a newly installed hydrant on Packer’s Island.  He says they ran the line over the railroad and says train operations are stopped until Sunday, so it will not affect the work on the line. 

Woodward says they don’t know yet what caused the line to burst, and they will continue to work to determine if the pipe is broken or if it just split.  He says these types of pipes usually last between 90 and 100 years, and this one is only 20-years-old.  Woodward says customers will continue to be problem free, with no dirty or low-pressurized water. (Sara Bartlett)  

Here is the latest Pennsylvania news from The Associated Press 

     PITTSBURGH (AP) - Experts say it's impossible to identify firefighters with a penchant for arson, but the problem is widespread enough to prompt a program to educate fire chiefs about it. State fire marshal David Klitsch has put together the Hero to Zero Firefighter Arsonist Program. The program debuted with two pilot presentations last month. Klitsch developed it in response to a series of arsons two years ago involving firefighters in Carbon, Monroe and Schuylkill counties. 

     PITTSBURGH (AP) - Pittsburgh police are looking for the driver of a van in which two men were found shot dead in a northeastern section of the city. A passenger from the van is in custody but has not been charged. The double homicide is the third in the region in the past five days.    

     PATTON, Pa. (AP) - A 21-month-old Blair County toddler is dead after drowning in an aboveground pool at a Cambria County home.  Authorities say Cheyanne Marie Dively of Williamsburg died Friday afternoon after being found in the pool in Clearfield Township.  Police say the toddler wandered away from a Fourth of July picnic and got into the pool.

      LINESVILLE, Pa. (AP) - The carp at Pymatuning State Park are going low-carb. The Linesville Spillway has long been famous as the place where ducks walk on fish because the fish throng so thick for bread tossed by visitors. But starting Jan. 1, bread is toast. Only commercial fish food will be allowed. Officials say the change will reduce litter. 

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Here are the winning numbers selected Saturday in the Pennsylvania State Lottery:

SATURDAY NIGHT

 Daily Number

     6-8-7

 Big 4

     6-6-6-1    

The winning numbers drawn Saturday night in Powerball are:      
24-47-34-1-48

Powerball: 18    

Power Play: 5    

SATURDAY MIDDAY

 Daily Number

     5-2-4         

 Big 4

     6-8-0-8          

 Treasure Hunt

     2-4-12-22-23         

The winning numbers drawn Saturday in the "Pennsylvania Cash 5" game were: 
05-08-22-23-43.    

     (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)